Email addresses are modified to reduce "harvesting" by spammers. E.g. name(at)example.com is really name@example.com
16 December 1999
A Christmas TELE-MEETING:
Hello Linn in Woodbridge Suffolk, Heather from Eyke,
Rita from Butley/Chillesford, Rosie "The British
Rose" from Eyke, and Jim and lovely Maureen "Jarrett
from Ipswich" Tansey in Arizona, and Tom and lovely
Ruth Beal from Ipswich now living down thar in Texas.
Whew! Hope that I didn't forget anybody.
I rang up the Eyke Stores this morning thinking that I would get in contact with Pat and Frank Paul who used to run the post office there. A lady by the name of Janis Davis (nee Smith) answered the phone to say that the Paul's had gone back to the Tunstall post office. I chatted with Janis Davis (nee Smith) formerly of Fourwinds, Tunstall since I had her on the phone. Janis went to Butley School. I come to find out that she is the daughter of Basil and Gladys Smith of Fourwinds, Tunstall, and that her Mum Gladys died last week and is buried at Eyke Church. Gladys worked on Bentwaters at Billeting for many years.
Both Pam and I knew Gladys and Basil. She was a real Suffolk sweetie. Well I was about floored hearing this news.
Basil Smith was also a British firefighter on Bentwaters for many years, worked with Tom Beal at the BW firestation. While we were chatting on the phone, Janis was serving several Eyke villagers who had come into the shop. She was telling them that she was talking to a crazy Yank on the telephone from Colorado etc and that he knew the Knappett's from Eyke. One elderly lady says to her "Oh, I knew Mrs Knappett for donkeys years." So I said hello to her. This was a great phone call for me at half past five-ish my time this morning.
Perhaps you may want to put something on your page to
let a lot of former Bentwaters troops know about Gladys
Smith passing. Perhaps anyone wanting to send a card
to Basil Smith, Fourwinds, Tunstall, WOODBRIDGE, Suffolk,
IP12 4EH.
I am sure Basil Smith will appreciate that and getting in contact with
fellow former firefighters.
After hanging up, I rang the Tunstall Post Office, Tunstall, and I did get hold of Pat Paul and her husband Frank. I knew them from my previous trips to the UK and she knew I had a soft spot for Imperial mints at the Tunstall post office.
Well we had a nice long chat and I told her that the reason I was calling her was to let her know that my wife Pam met her aunt on 15 Dec 99 at The English Teacup here in Denver. Pam helped her put load her British food items into her car. She asked Pam where she was from and Pam said Suffolk. Well, Kit Douglas said to her, my niece runs the Tunstall post office, do you know her? It was so funny.
I talked to Frank and Pat Paul for ages. It was so nice hearing Suffolk voices again after so many years. I am homesick as hell for Suffolk. The Paul's have a son Darren who is in the British Army and is posted at Colchester. He is married and has a wee one. He will be doing his bit over in Bosnia soon with the British forces. Keep him in your prayers. The Paul's know the Teagers too who have the car lot next door nearly to them, just across from the Green Man pub.
Well, I really must run. Never mind, I have a few bottles of Newcastle Brown Ale in me fridge. Ha!
Take care everybody out there in cyberland. Merry Christmas to All.
Love and Best wishes from
Ron (Aloha) and Pam from Snape
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| From: Peter J. Lechman ramrod(a)thegrid.net Sent: 30 December 1999 00:05 Hi Linn, Here is a picture Laura took when we visited Dile and his lovely wife Kathy. It was taken next to his house in Shrewsbury, MA (east of Boston). I have enjoyed our visits with Dile over the last couple of years and all because of your web site. Again, many thanks for the web site... Happy 2000.... John Lechman (PJ) |
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| From: cdalldorf-at-sbcglobal.net
Sent: 28 December 1999 02:16 Subject: Another Successful Reunion! Linn: Out of the blue, right before Christmas, I received an e-mail from a long lost buddy and fellow Aircraft Fuel Systems mechanic from the 81st TFW, Steve "Mad Dog" Cohen. Steve has not been in touch with anyone in more than 20 years. He recently purchased a computer for his home and found your web site. He saw my name and sent me an e-mail. Steve was stationed at RAF Bentwaters from 1979 -1981. I was his sponsor when he and his wife came to the twin bases. We became great friends along with Myron "Moe" Mosely and Linwood "La Blountski" Blount. Steve resided in Saxmundham and his son, Brandon who is now 18-years-old, was born at the RAF Lakenheath (48th TFW) Hospital since the twin bases didn't have one yet (we had some limited medical and dental in Quonset huts, but that is another story...). Anyway, we are back in touch thanks to your site and trying to hook all of us together through e-mail. Lots of stories about some of our other colleagues at the time are already crisscrossing the e-mail lines around the states..stories about our old shop chief, Msgt. Larry Franklin; other senior NCO's including Nick Cirenese, the late Tsgt. "Bud" Callahan and then the rest of our crew Julius Richardson, Mike Wilson, and too many others to remember without the proper number of pints being consumed. Thanks again Linn! What a great gift for the holidays, discovering old friends. Cheers, |
| From: Skip Atwood skip_paivi(a)attglobal.net Sent: 07 December 1999 03:36 This week I received a telephone call from Tom Pitzer, one of my old classmates at Woodbridge. I haven't heard from him in over 25 years. He is a Chief Master Sergeant in the USAF, stationed at McGuire AFB, New Jersey. On my entry it says I had lost contact with him, well now he has been found. Thanks. Same with Steve Meservy and Bill Ayersman and John Amundson. I have heard from all of them recently. If this success keeps up, I should have contact with over fifteen old classmates by next summer. I have told everyone to check-out your site and tell their friends and family. Skip Atwood |
| From: Mel and Marie, Huntington Beach, California MHuffII(a)aol.com
26 September 1999 A GREAT BIG THANK YOU FOR YOUR WEBSITE. IF IT WASN'T FOR THAT WE WOULD NEVER HAVE GOT IN TOUCH WITH EACH OTHER IN THIS LIFE TIME. PLEASE WRITE ABOUT THIS SUCCESS. WE TALKED, AND TALKED AND TALKED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH INDEED. P.S. MARIE AND I USED TO LIVE IN THE WOODBRIDGE TRAIN STATION HOUSE, UP STAIRS, IN 1957. NEXT JUNE/JULY WE PLAN TO TAKE A TRIP TO IPSWICH AND WOODBRIDGE. WE'LL STOP BY AND SAY HI! THANK YOU AGAIN. MEL AND MARIE
This is the success Mel and Marie are talking about ! I HAVE FOUND DONALD E. KESSEL E-MAIL AND SENT HIM A SHORT NOTE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR HELP . I STAYED UP FOR HOURS NITE GOING OVER EVERYTHING ON YOUR SITE AND JIM AND MAUREENS SITE AND FOUND HIS E- MAIL. THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN. I WAS STATIONED WITH HIM AT RAF WOODBRIDGE 1956-59, HE WAS MY BEST MAN AT OUR WEDDING 43 YEARS AGO IN IPSWICH. LOST CONTACT MANY YEARS A GO. I WOULD LIKE TO GET HIS E-MAIL OR ADDRESS IF POSSIBLE . ALSO I HAVE PICTURES ...I MAY SEND TO YOU. AT A LATER DATE. HAVE SENT E-MAIL TO JIM AND MAUREEN TANSEY ALSO. THANK YOU ...VERY MUCH INDEED |
| From: Ron Jarrett Burrell
ronburrell(a)comcast.net Sent: 07 September 1999 01:50 |
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Linn, We met Megan through your webpages. And it was kind of nice seeing her in person last month when she visited our home with the 1954 81st Interceptor Wing yearbook from Bentwaters. A school chum of Pam's who still lives in Snape also knew her and her father Reginald (Storky) Hayward from Aldeburgh. He passed away last May at the age of 91 years. Megan also brought along several books on Aldeburgh that Pam was very interested in. Alot of info on the war years, 1939 to 1945. When I get the time I am going to contact the book store in Aldeburgh to see if these books are still available. I believe that the book store on High Street even has a email address. I saw it once upon at time. Regards |
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Megan Winans and Ron Burrell outside the Red Lobster, Aurora, Colorado.
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From: Mike Doss battdaddy(a)hotmail.com
Dear Linn, thanks so much for the help you gave our 79th TFS reunion, and posting the reunion picture. Thanks to your web site, Dan Aycock, Tom Miller, Barry Miller, Larry Fennel, Gordon Spencer, and Jerry Riggins, I was able to come up with about 120 men from RAF Woodbridge from the mid to late 60's. Most of them were from the 79th. It was such a small community, many of us were friends with Air Police, Cooks, 78th TFS members, guys from the bomb dump, etc. We had a great time at the reunion in Denver. We all left with the desire to do it again. Too little time, too many war stories for one weekend. Thanks again for your web site, and all the effort you put into it. Cheers, Mike Doss
Left to right: Gary Goldenbaum, Danny
Hamilton, Bill Fetzer, Mike Doss, Wayne Reed, Bob Garner,
Jody Meyer, and Bob McCord.
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RON BURRELL DOES IT AGAIN! From: john vest Subject: thanks!! Ron, Thanks, I just got off the phone with Earl Spencer. I told him that you found him and how you are doing. He hasn't got a computer that's internet ready yet. He took early retirement and works for a foundry outfit. He was really surprised that you found him. Way to go, I'm going to try to find Seals. I'll let you know how it goes. John Vest |
| Linn B. p.s. I don't think he means
THAT Earl Spencer... When I checked with John Vest how the ol' Bentwaters fence-leaper had helped, John replied with another "leap" story: "Yes he did and damn fast at that. Ol' sarge Burrell has leaped into the 21st with both feet. The last time I saw him he was cursing the computer for tracking his work production now he can get it to do anything!" |
| Marion Kirby kirbym(a)ihug.co.nz Sent: 03 August 1999 20:27 To: linn(a)barringer.co.uk Subject: A huge success!! I just had an email from Ron Burrell last night with news that he knew my friends father from school. I lost contact with her after returning to NZ in 1982 after writing for a couple of years. The most amazing thing was that at the same time I downloaded Ron's email one came from my friend too, so he had obviously phoned her family to let them know I was searching for her. Thanks for all the hard work..... Marion Kirby (New Zealand) Ron, you're an ace postman and sleuth! Linn B. |
| Ron Burrell AllThatJaz(a)webtv.net] Sent: 26 July 1999 05:43 Subject: RE: are you my boss?? Linn I just got off the telephone talking with John Vest, a former Woodbridge AGE troop, that worked for me 13 years ago. I reckon we talked two hours but the Mrs said three, so who am I to argue with her. Anyway, John found me through your webpage. So chalk up another Success for Linn Barringer's Woodbridge and Twin Bases webpage.. This is great!!! Thanks a million mate. Regards |
| From: John Kelley jpkelley01(at)comcast.net Sent: 04 May 1999 00:58 To: linn(a)barringer.co.uk Subject: Found Randy Erwin Linn, I sent you a message last week about John Reed Finding me, well 3 days later I'm proud to report that I now have two Email addresses to the Randy Erwin that I have been looking for. I know they are good addresses because he sent them to me. Your site is great and I hope to get to meet you some day. Keep up the good work, the site is great and I'm telling everyone about it. John Kelley 81 st T.F.W. R.A.F. Bentwaters (1960's) |
| From: John Kelley jpkelley01(at)comcast.net Sent: 26 April 1999 01:44 To: Subject: Found John Reed from the 60s I should say he found me. I have not found Randy Erwin or Basil Goldy Lamb yet but John Reed say my name and that I was looking for them. He just happen to drop me an Email to tell me he was there in the early 60s. After a few times back and forth, thru the Email, it dawned on us that we served in the same sq. and did know each other. Were are you guys, this reunion was with a person that I haven't heard from or seen in 38 years. Come on you guys from the 60s, lets hear from you. Thanks Linn for a great web sight. This proves it is possible to find someone after all these years. |
| 22 April
Linn, Tom
Miller and I have been talking a little via e-mail
and in the process of exchanging some information just
found out that he is working at a location only about
50 miles from where I live. Imagine the surprise to both
of us. Well, like all Woodbridgians would do, we got together
Tuesday evening, drank a couple of beers, ate a burger,
and told "war stories" for a while. |
| 19 April
I'm going to take a day for a quick visit to Bill Lambdin. We met thru yours and Jim Tansey's sites. We were stationed at W/B at the same time and do vaguely remember each other. I wish some of the 81st commanders - the real ones - would join in. Hey, if nothing else, it is fun and the memories are great. I don't see how that would have happened but for you. Thanks again. |
| I don't know if I did this right or not...if I did, you should get a picture of Carl Nice sitting in front of his computer, as he sent e-mail to me for our first contact since 1970... Carl and I attended the Beaumont Baptist Church together wayyyyyyy back then... BB or Biloxi Bill was my nickname then, given to me by Joe Larosa, who was one of the 5 of us that all went to B/W from Biloxi, Mississippi together. |
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| 15 April A double success for your web site; Gene Raper had a "looking for" in your web site, he was looking for Carl Nice also, so I got Gene's e-mail from your site and sent him Carl's phone number and e-mail address Rick |
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| 24 February - Call for
Help:
Mr. Barringer, thanks for your great web site. I am new at this, I can only use this at work, but I will soon have a home computer. I was a fire-fighter at RAF Bentwaters from 85-87, and enjoyed every moment. I am planning a return trip with my children this summer, and I am trying to locate a great friend of mine that stayed over there to be with his new bride. His name was Rick Ceculski, hers was Trudy Frost, I think they married in 87. Last I heard he was working at a power plant near Bentwaters? and they lived in Halesworth. I tried all of the computer locator searches and came up with nil. Could you some how point me in the right direction on anyway of finding them? I also called directory assistance and they said he had a non published number. How depressing! Any help you could give me will be greatly appreciated! Also if you want to add me to your web that would be great! Patrick J. Bailey I would be glad to send you a Fire Dept T-shirt or hat
for your troubles! Patrick J Bailey BaileyP(a)mwaa.com
27 March 1999 - Result: Patrick, I just got off the phone talking to Rick Ceculski. I found him at his place of work, after a few investigative phone calls. As I told him, he sounds like a good ol' Suffolk boy, not an American! He had tried to call me but had a wrong number for my house, so he thought that if someone really wanted to find him, they would call again. I did. He is still married to Trudy and lives on a farm near Halesworth, Suffolk And I'm now awaiting delivery of a Fire Dept T-shirt ! Linn Barringer
UPDATE: July 1999 |
| 26 January
Linn, I really enjoy your web site, and every time I visit I find something new. I've also heard from some long lost friends as a result of your putting our photo on the web. |
| 24 January
Linn: I just received my first note from WayneDixie Huber, a fellow who also was lucky enough to have resided in Corner Cottage, Tunstall. Thanks again Linn, for making all of these connections possible. Conversations like this would be impossible without your website! Cheers, |
| 17 January
Thanks again Linn, I still receive messages from my posting [on the MEMORIES page] and enjoy them all |
| January
Well, I just got off the phone with Carl Nice... we attended the Beaumont Baptist church together. I finally found him by using the internet to look up everyone in the U.S. named Carl Nice....and then picked the one I thought would be where he would live. I also sent someone in your searches page (Gene Raper) his e-mail address... who was also looking for him. I might be wrong but I think Raper bought a 59 VW bug from me while at Bentwaters. Sure wish I had it now. Carl's e-mail is carlnice(a)yahoo.com. Thanks |